Firecracker package



Jan. 3, 1939. R. B. WHITESIDE 3,

FIRECRACKER PACKAGE Filed March 51, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Ara array, 22.wi s z'de Jan. 3, 1939. R. B. WHITESIDE FIRE RACKER PACKAGE Filed March351, 1937 Y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 3, 193

UNITED ST'T ICE 2 Claims.

This invention is a firecracker package combination.

An object of the invention is to provide a package of loose or freefirecrackers in which the crackers are packed in parallel rows in acommon plane with the crackers arranged transversely in their rows andpreferably with their fuses all disposed at the inner ends of thecrackers, that is, fuse ends in juxtaposition, all of the crackers beingentirely unattached in any manner in the pack. Thus the loose crackersmay be handled one at a time without any unbraiding or breaking of otherfastening means sometimes provided to fix the arranged crackers in thepack.

5 By arrangement of the crackers with their fuses in juxtaposition thewhole pack may be fired at once if so desired.

A further object is to provide a container or box structure preferablyof one piece of material 20 for confining the crackers in their rowplane against dislodgement and to provide for ready access to the fusesfor purpose of igniting the pack as a whole.

Also, an object is to provide a package con- 25 taining a match-headed,slow burning, fuse lighting element or stick serving to stiffen thepackage, and provide a closure incorporating a match strike.

The invention consists of certain advance- 30 ments in this art as setforth in the ensuing disclosure and having, with the above, additionalobjects and advantages as hereinafter developed, and whose construction,combination and details of means, and the method and the manner of 35operation will be made manifest in the description of the annexed,illustrative embodiment; it being understood that modifications,variations and adaptations may be resorted to within the scope,principle and spirit of the invention as it w is more directly claimedin the appendage.

Figure 1 is a perspective of a partially closed, preferred form of thepackage. Figure 2 is a perspective of the frontal or window side of thesealed pack. Figure 3 is an edge and back perspective thereof. Figure 4is a sectional elevation of the match stick. Figure 5 shows the schemeof laying the loose fuses in between the rows of crackers.

Figure 6 is a plan of a strip blank, Figure 7 is a perspective of apartly folded box, and Figure 8 is a perspective of a packed and sealedpackage of a modified form of the invention.

Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, show a package in which two rows 2 and 3 ofcrackers C are laid in a plane with their fuses 4 all disposed at theinner ends of the crackers; these being laid transversely in theirrespective rows.

The fuses t are all laid parallel in one direction toward one end of therows of crackers and toward a narrow slit 5 provided in one of the 5four side walls 6 of a shallow container or envelope, Fig. 3. The fusesof the endmost crackers are bent to line along the wall 6 in which theslit 5 is provided at a position such that by inserting a fingernail theuser may slightly tear 10 open the Wall to pull out a portion of a nearfuse to be lighted for firing the whole pack at one time by reason ofrunning of the fire along the fuses at the center of the pack at theinner ends of the rows of crackers.

The envelope E is formed of a single piece of paper in blank having afrontal panel IU of frame form providing a window II. The four sides ofthe panel in are foldably joined by the respective, four walls 6, whichhave a width determined by the number of layers of rows of crackers tobe packed. The sides or walls 6 stand upright as to the window panel I0.

A narrow flap I3 along one wall 6 is adapted to be folded inward overthe laid crackers. Opposite to the flap I3 is a parallel, full sizecover leaf I4 the outer face of which provides for direct imprint of alabel on face L, Fig. 3.

The walls 6 which are transverse to the cover leaf 14 have infolding,reinforcing flaps l5 preferably as wide as their basal walls 6 and longenough to well overlap each other, Fig. 1, whereby to form with the leafl4, triple plies of the paper stock to stiffen the envelope and keep therows of crackers in plane.

When the package is made up as in Fig. 1, it is only necessary to applypaste to narrow zones abc along the cover leaf l4 and stick this down onthe adjacent margins of the flaps l5 and flap I3.

The package includes, if desired, a stiff, slow burning stick or elementI! laid between contiguous fuse-ends of the rows 2 and 3 of crackers.The stick is preferably made of a piece of perfumed, rolled,slow-burning paper to form an empty tube the centric hole [8 of whichprovides an airway to aid combustion. To further the purpose of anall-inone firecracker package the tubular stick I! is provided with amatchhead l9 having a stem 20 set in one end of the tube in suitablemanner, though the combustible head may be otherwise produced on thestick.

The envelope has at a suitable location, as on a wall 6 remote from thecracker fuses, an abrasive match strike 2|. Thus the stick I! may beextracted from the pack and lighted by rasping its head l9 on the strike2|. As soon as the stick glows the user may proceed to open the packagefor extracting individual crackers or ignite the near fuse at slit 5.

The container or envelope E may be of any desired material and if thewindow be in the form of an opening if desired it may be covered with atransparent sheet Il The window Il may be formed in the panel as byimpregnating the stock with an oily substance, in well known manner.

In Figs. 6 to 8 is shown a box structure including a blank having anarrow backbone strip 25 and along opposite sides is a pair of equal,short flaps 26-21, at one end, next to longer, opposite equal flaps28-29 separated from flaps 26-2'| by slits 30 which extend to the centerstrip 25. Next to and out free of the flaps 28-29 are opposite shortflaps 3 |-32 of the same length as flaps 25-41, and at the opposite endof the strip 25 are opposite flaps 33-34 out free of the near ends offlaps 3I-32 and being as long as flaps 28-29.

Weakened or perforated lines 35 along the strip 25 provide for accurate,ready bending of the flaps into a channel or box forming position, Figs.7 and 8. Bending the strip 25 to form a rectangular frame, Fig. '7,brings the infolded flaps 2B283l-33 into co-planar, bottom formingrelation with overlapping end zones which are pasted in an obviousmanner and thus form an open window W.

Rows of firecrackers C are now laid along the I! is packed betweenadjacent or inner ends of the crackers. The short flaps 21 and 32 arefolded in and down on the contents and the longer, parallel top flaps29-34 are folded down and pasted where they overlap the lower flaps21-32; thus forming a top window W, Fig. 8.

The window openings WW are covered by a transparent sheet 36 which mayencase the whole pack as shown in Fig. 8. The exposed surfaces of theseveral flaps of this pack provide effective display area for suitableprinted matter.

The fuses of the crackers in the box of Fig. 8 are loosely laid alongthe inner edges of the opposed rows, of crackers, 2 and 3 and contiguousfuses 4 are clustered along the tearing aperture 3! to enable lightingoff the full pack if desired.

Zones 38 of adhesive on the inside face of panel 10, Fig. 5, provide forattachment directly to the cover itself, if desired, of the crackers C.

What is claimed is:

1. A firecracker-package having an unstable envelope of pliant, tearablematerial such as used for wrapping firecrackers, a fiat assembly offirecrackers packed therein, and an elongate, barlike device ofnon-metallic material stiffer than the envelope and of a length notgreater than that of the walls of the envelope to which it is paralleland which reinforces or stabilizes the package in directions transverseto the length of said device; said device being of such cross-sectionalshape as not to overlap the periphery of contiguous ends offirecrackers.

2. A firecracker package as in claim 1, and in which the stabilizingdevice is wholly unattached in the package.

ROBERT B. WHITESIDE.

